Tour Namsangol Hanok Village for a fascinating insight into the Korean customs that were commonplace from the late 1400s to the early 1900s. Be part of rewarding cultural encounters at typical homes of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled the nation for over 500 years. Watch handicraft and martial art demonstrations and attend music and dance shows. Namsangol Hanok Village sits amid a peaceful garden in the northern foothills of Mt. Namsan.
Within the village are five hanok houses, each of which has been painstakingly erected to provide an authentic reflection of its era and social class. The interior decorations and furniture represent everyone from aristocrats to government officials, peasants and royalty. Find the former home of the parents-in-law of King Seongjong of Joseon, the study of the king’s father-in-law and the 19th-century house of military leader Kim Chunyeong.
Workshops offer you the chance to participate in a variety of Korean practices. Try calligraphy, kite-making and hanji, which is the art of creating paper from the bark of a paper mulberry tree. Have your photo taken while wearing a colorful hanbok gown and sip aromatic teas at the teahouse.
Go to the stage to watch performances of Korean martial arts, such as taekwondo. Folkloric dance and musical events take place on most evenings at the Seoul Namsan Gugakdang arena. Buried at the village’s tallest point is a time capsule programmed to be opened in 2394. It was made in 1994 to celebrate Seoul’s 600th anniversary and features 600 everyday objects.
Get to the village by taking the Seoul Subway Line 3 to Chungmuro station and then continuing on foot. Parking in the area is limited so it’s easier to arrive via public transportation than driving.
Namsangol Hanok Village is open from Tuesday to Sunday and admission is free. Free guided tours in English begin at the office adjacent to the main entrance. Fees apply for certain events. Ask at the entrance for information or consult the village’s official website, which is in Korean only.
